A Distributed Antenna System, or DAS, is a network of spatially separated antenna nodes connected to a common node via a transport medium that provides wireless service within a geographic area or structure. Common wireless communication system configurations employ a host unit as the common node, which is located at a centralized location (for example, at a facility that is controlled by a wireless service provider). The antenna nodes and related broadcasting and receiving equipment, located at a location that is remote from the host unit (for example, at a facility or site that is not controlled by the wireless service provider), are also referred to as “remote units.” Radio frequency (RF) signals are communicated between the host unit and one or more remote units. In such a DAS, the host unit is typically communicatively coupled to one or more base stations (for example, via wired connection or via wireless connection) which allow bidirectional communications between wireless subscriber units within the DAS service area and communication networks such as, but not limited to, cellular phone networks, the public switch telephone network (PSTN) and the Internet.
A problem arises with implementing emergency (e.g. 911) responses systems for wireless communication systems however, because unlike land based telephones which are each associated with a physical address, the phone number of a mobile phone calling in to report an emergency does not convey the location from which the call originates. While wireless location algorithms and systems exits, and distributed antenna systems exist, using wireless location algorithms within an area serviced by a distributed antenna system results in location ambiguity due to multiple antenna sites.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the specification, there is a need in the art for systems and methods for wireless location systems within a distributed antenna system.
In accordance with common practice, the various described features are not drawn to scale but are drawn to emphasize features relevant to the present invention. Reference characters denote like elements throughout figures and text.